Much as been said in the leading up to this year about how vital keeping Braxton Burmeister healthy is to this season for the Hokies. But which team would fare better if their starter went down for 3 games? [Please note this is NOT a injury wish on any player on any team] UNC, as of an internet search from a few minutes ago (02SEP21 1730), has yet to name their backup. While Sam Howell is clearly their number one and Braxton Burmeister ours, who is ready to step into number one's shoes mid game? UNC backups are a sophomore (with 16 yards passing) and a freshman, both who were highly rated but basically babes-in-the-woods.
Forums:
DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
Comments
I think this is a great question! My gut instinct says Burmeister because UNC returns their entire Oline and has more talent at the skill positions so I would expect there to be less pressure on the QB. But given they haven't named a backup IDK. Unc is also playing for more than VT. Losing BB for VT probably means a losing season instead of maybe just over 500. Losing Howell for Unc means possibly losing the coastal instead of contending for a spot in the playoffs. Unc has more to lose but probably less of a drop off. Interesting thought experiment for sure.
disagree with your comment that UNC has "more talent at the skill positions". I'll take our WRs, RBs, and TEs over UNCheat's any day of the week. Now, QB...that's another story, but theirs are generally unproven except maybe for their transfer RB and their TE (but I'd still prefer our starting TE), and our RBs should be peaking this season.
Also, I'll add that UNCheat's QB is way more vital to their team (because if they lost him for the season, they'll likely lose all of their games - because of course they'd be too busy crying like little powderpuff baby blue babies about what could have been).
This is fair for the most part.
UNC has objectively recruited better than VT. UNC also has WRs and RBs show up and perform every year. Aside from Herbert last year we haven't had any standouts in either group since Phillips. So I'd say advantage UNC. I'll grant you TEs tho.
I could go either way on this, but not for the reasons you cite. I think with Howell the playoff is UNCs ceiling. Without him their ceiling becomes coastal division champ. So UNC has much more to lose (shot at playoffs) if Howell is unavailable. However, UNCs floor is higher than VT, especially without BB. So I could argue it either way, depending on how you look at it.
I think Fuente would tell you categorically that BB is more critical to the Hokies than Howell is to the Heels because if BB is lost for the season Fuente likely loses his job. Mack has no such threat to deal with.
Based upon recent recruiting alone, my guess is UNC would fare better. 'Highly rated' indicates a high ceiling, but I'd argue it also indicates a high 'floor'. Tyrod in 2007 was a babe in the woods as well, but 3rd and 30 still happened based upon his raw physical talents and sheer competitiveness.
Hard to answer without knowing a little more about the backups. My guess though is that the gap between 1 and 2 is larger at UNC but they have better support around them.
UNC has blue chip QBs behind Sam Howell. I'm not suggesting they could settle in immediately, but UNC would fare FAR better if Howell went down.
Hooker and QP were blue chippers too. Howell is a future first round pick. They may be in better shape than VT with their backups but the differential is likely greater at UNC.
I can't necessarily disagree with this, but I also think this paints a very realistic picture of where the QB room has been under Fuente...
Lots of ways to look at that, but I'd say BB is more important.
VT has always had a team where the individual players are all important, which is different than a generic team with interchangeable highly rated players.
Most importantly for this question, VT isn't deep in the QB position.
I think it's Howell, and I don't think it's all that close. Their team lost something like 4000 yards of offensive production coming into this year. Sure, talented dudes behind them, presumably, but we haven't seen it. Without someone like Howell at the helm, I don't think they'd be top 20, let alone top 10. They've got some mid 4* backups, which isn't nothing I guess, but I think without Howell the ceiling completely comes off this team.
BB's limitations have been pretty thoroughly discussed here over the past few months, so I won't harp. He's good, but he isn't perfect. But, I think the gap between Heisman contender (Howell) and mid-4* (Criswell probably?) who hasn't played any meaningful games is way bigger than the gap between limited if talented dude (BB) to high-3* (Kadum, probaly?) who looked ok in limited game time last year.
I definitely would say Howell. Last year they could just rely on their running game if Howell went down. However, losing two 1000 yard RBs and two 1000 yard receivers means that the offense rests solely on Howell. While we'd be pretty bad if Burmeister went down, at least we have some experienced running backs and receivers that could make some plays.
It's Burmeister for sure imo. We need him all season, I think he's gonna show out
I think it's Howell. He is the difference between UNC being the Coastal favorite and potential challenger to Clemson versus a 7-8 win season. BB is vital for VT as well, but I really don't think we are an ACC championship game contender this year with or without him. He's likely the difference between a 7-8 win season at most and a 5 win season. UNC has more potentially at stake.
We hope BB is good, but we're not sure given the sample size and mixed results.
We know Howell is good, (really good). I don't think unc wants to break the huddle with anyone else right now.